1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a bridge for supporting the strings of a stringed instrument. While the description in this application is written in terms of a violin bridge, the basic features of the structure are equally adaptable to bridges for use on other stringed instruments which are played with a bow.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A bridge on a violin, or other instrument, is typically thought of as holding and supporting the strings; however, its more important function is to precisely transmit sound vibrations from the strings to the body of the instrument. The transmission and resonant qualities of the bridge are extremely important to the overall tone quality and volume of the instrument, and a poor bridge can ruin the sound produced by a good violin. Likewise, many young people have learned to play using stock quality instruments which could produce a reasonably good sound if equipped with a quality bridge, such as the one disclosed here.
One difficulty the bridge development in the prior art is that it must be done by trial and error. Quite simply, one must make each bridge by hand and then use it on the instrument to determine how the tone is affected by a specific structure. A number of different types of bridges are known in the prior art, but none are known which are similar to Applicant's bridge described herein.